I've had cars that were 15+ years old and I've never replaced a brake line. About a month ago, a woman at work had to replace a corroded brake line on her '01 Taurus. Today, I replace a brake line on my '01 LeSabre. This is in CT where there is snow and the roads are salted so corrosion does happen. Just that I've never encountered replacing a line in 47 years of owning cars and now I know of two in a short time.
Common problem?
Quite common. I've never had a car go 15 years without replacing brake lines. Of course, I live in Central NY where salt is dumped on the roads all winter long.
I think it depends on the construction of the lines. I've had exactly two fail on me and both cars were pushing 20 years old. I think those little coil armor things trap dirt and gunk and accelerate rusting; also some manufacturers spec better coatings than others on the brake lines (German cars typically have a green coating on the brake lines that seems to do a better job than the normal terne plating.)
Replacing rusted segments with stainless isn't a bad idea on a car you plan to keep forever...
nate
My '97 LeSabre has never had that problem - and I'm in salt-city, Toronto, Canada. The rocker panels (why do they call them that?) are rusting away though.
I've had a few brake lines rust through on older cars - Chicago. Cars were at least ten years old though. Sounds like bad materials or placing the lines where they are subject to collecting/keeping moisture. Maybe dirt doesn't naturally get washed off.
--Vic
Since brake lines usually corrode from the inside-out, ambient humidity and proper service make a huge difference.
Dave
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